Essential Oils to Stop Smoking
Can Aromatherapy Help You Quit Smoking?
It's time to make those New Year’s Resolutions, and if you're a smoker, what could be better than starting off the year without cigarettes? Quitting smoking isn't easy, of course, and many people with good intentions fail because they try to stop cold-turkey, without a solid plan. It can be done, however, with research and preparedness, and essential oils can be one of the tools in your arsenal.
Now, no one is saying that aromatherapy is some sort of magical cure for quitting smoking, but there has been some intriguing research which shows it can help. In the book Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential oils in Practice, the author writes about studies in which one group of smokers inhaled Angelica after a meal and another group of smokers did not. The group that inhaled the Angelica did not feel the need to smoke for almost an hour and the group that didn’t inhale the essential oil couldn’t wait for an average of two minutes. All of the smokers still had cravings, but the oil aided the smokers who used it to wait for a longer period of time then the group who didn’t use it. Clove oil can have similar effects on cravings.
Black Pepper was found in another study to simulate the feeling of smoking and to help decrease cravings (Rose and Behm, 1994). Aromatherapy can help not only with cravings and addiction, it can treat the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal: irritability, impatience, hostility, anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, restlessness, lower heart rate and weight gain. The best delivery system for aromatherapy relief of these symptoms is a portable inhaler (such as the this one) which is easily carried in a purse or pocket, ready to use when the cravings strike. Use any of the following oils, by themselves or in combination, to help with cravings or symptoms:
When you feel the need to light up, inhale deeply and wait a few minutes for the craving to pass. You can use the Germ Buster blend in the same way. Germ Buster contains many of the oils found to help with cravings and ease symptoms.
Stop Smoking Essential Oil Blend
You can also make your own “Stop Smoking” blend at home: blend 5 drops Clove oil, 5 drops Orange, Lemon, or Lime essential oil, 5 drops Chamomile, 5 drops Helichrysum, 10 drops Lavender, 10 drops Marjoram and 15 drops Grapefruit. This blend will calm raw nerves, ease cravings, refresh you and help to balance your mood. Use with a portable inhaler or diffuse into your living space with a candle or electric diffuser.
To help with anxiety and irritability, diffuse lavender or chamomile in an electric or candle diffuser. You can also use either of these oils in massage oil on the back of your neck or your chest to reduce these symptoms further. The combination of peppermint and lavender will help with headache and appetite control. Diffuse in the same way or use a portable inhaler.
Another easy, and pleasant, treatment is to combine a few drops of Ylang Ylang in a tablespoon of massage oil and rub into your feet before bed. Ylang Ylang will treat anxiety and help with cravings. It can also be inhaled alone to ease daytime cravings, as well.
While it is very helpful, aromatherapy is only one tool. There are many resources at your disposal in planning and kicking the habit. Here are a few helpful websites:
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/
https://smokefree.gov/build-your-quit-plan
http://tipsonhowtoquit.com/tips-on-how-to-quit-smoking-during-pregnancy